Foreign Sales (Historical)
Returns the revenue from international/foreign markets for a company. This represents sales generated outside the company's home country (typically outside the United States for US-listed companies).
Understanding the Metric
Foreign sales indicate:
- International market penetration
- Geographic revenue diversification
- Exposure to foreign currency and economic conditions
- Global growth potential
Combined with domestic sales, this shows the geographic revenue split.
Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Stock ticker (e.g., AAPL, MSFT) |
| Year | Fiscal year or period code (lq, ly, lq-1, ly-1, lt, lt-1) |
| Quarter | Optional: 1, 2, 3, or 4 (default: 1) |
| TTM | Optional: "TTM" for trailing twelve months |
Period Codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| lq | Last reported quarter |
| lq-1 | Quarter before last |
| ly | Last fiscal year |
| ly-1 | Year before last |
| lt | Last trailing twelve months |
| lt-1 | Prior trailing twelve months |
Syntax
=hf_Foreign_sales(Symbol, Year, [Quarter], [TTM])Parameters
Stock ticker symbol
Fiscal year (e.g., 2023) or period code (lq, lq-1, ly, ly-1, lt, lt-1)
Calendar quarter (1-4)
Set to 'TTM' for trailing twelve months
Returns
Foreign/international sales revenue (in currency units)
Examples
=hf_Foreign_sales("AAPL", 2023, 4)=hf_Foreign_sales("MSFT", "ly")=hf_Foreign_sales("GOOGL", 2023, , "TTM")=hf_Foreign_sales(A1, B1, C1)=hf_Foreign_sales("NVDA", "lq")When to Use
- Analyzing geographic revenue mix
- Evaluating international expansion
- Assessing foreign currency exposure
- Comparing global vs domestic growth
- Understanding market diversification
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Need US/domestic sales | hf_Domestic_sales() |
| Need total revenue | hf_Revenue() |
| Need specific country revenue | Check geographic segment reports |
| Need real-time sales data | This is historical data only |
Common Issues & FAQ
What's included in "foreign" sales?
Generally, revenue from all countries outside the company's home country. For US companies, this means all non-US revenue.
Why might this not be available for some companies?
Smaller companies or those with limited international operations may not report geographic segment data. Check if the company discloses this breakdown.
How do I calculate international revenue percentage?
Foreign % = hf_Foreign_sales() / (hf_Foreign_sales() + hf_Domestic_sales()) * 100. Or simply divide by total revenue.
Related Formulas
More MarketXLS Historical Fundamentals formulas you can use in the same worksheet:
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